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Academic Misconduct

The Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) is a pool of faculty and students from which small panels are drawn to hear cases of alleged academic misconduct. When a panel determines that academic misconduct has occurred, they decide on the appropriate sanction. The committee as a whole considers the broader issues of academic misconduct and provides feedback to instructors and departments about best practices and policies.

Rules / Responsibilities

The committee on academic misconduct shall consist of forty-two members.

(1) Twenty-two faculty, at least eighteen tenure-track faculty. Faculty members are eligible for reappointment, but may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

(2) Eighteen students.

(a) Nine graduate students.

(b) Nine undergraduate students. The term of service shall begin with the summer term.

(3) Two administrators.

(a) The vice president for student life or designee, non-voting.

(b) A coordinator, appointed by the executive vice president and provost, who shall not participate in the decisions of the committee.

(4) Alternate members.

(a) Faculty and students who have been regular members of the committee during the previous three years shall be eligible to be alternate members, providing they remain at the university in their same category.

(1) Investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct, with the exception of cases in a professional college having a published honor code, and decide upon suitable disciplinary action. (The term "academic misconduct" is defined in paragraph (A) of rule 3335-23-04 of the Administrative Code.) Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee.

(2) Investigate all cases of lax or irregular methods of conducting examinations that might tend to promote academic misconduct on the part of students, with the exception of cases in a professional college having a published honor code. The committee shall report its findings in these cases to the executive vice president and provost.

(3) Serve as a consultant on questions of academic misconduct for any professional college having a published honor code. (Note: this committee shall not have jurisdiction over cases involving student academic misconduct in professional colleges having published honor codes. These colleges shall follow their own codes in investigating reported cases of academic misconduct and in determining suitable disciplinary action. When the action taken involves suspension, dismissal, or entry on the student's permanent record, a recommendation to that effect shall be made to the executive vice president and provost for review and action.)

(1) The committee on academic misconduct is authorized to:

(a) Establish panels of its members which will conduct hearings and make decisions with the same authority as the committee itself;

(b) Establish rules and procedures to conduct hearings, including the definition of a quorum.

(2) If the caseload of the committee should from time to time become such that cases cannot be set for hearing within four weeks (excluding periods of examinations or between vacations and recesses between semesters, terms, or sessions), the chair shall be empowered to ask alternate members to serve voluntarily and temporarily as members of hearing panels.

(3) As a standing committee of the senate, this committee is also governed by the provisions of rules 3335-5-46 and 3335-5-48 of the Administrative Code.